Houston VA performs new Minimally Invasive Heart Procedure
In March 2023, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston reached a new milestone by performing a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure that accessed the heart through the carotid artery in the neck.
For the past 12 years, Houston VA has performed the minimally invasive TAVR procedure by inserting a catheter in a blood vessel in the leg or groin.
But up until now, doctors have not been able to perform the procedure through the neck.
This advancement in medicine is significant because patients with peripheral arterial disease were previously not eligible for TAVR due to narrowing of their blood vessels, typically in the legs.
“In order to do this procedure, we need the blood vessel in the legs to be normal,” said Dr. Mirza Khalid, an interventional cardiologist at the Houston VA. “If there is a blockage in the blood vessels in the groin or the legs, the procedure cannot be done.”
Vietnam Veteran Julian Rodriguez, Sr. was fist Veteran at Houston VA to receive the new TAVR procedure.
“My arteries weren’t strong at all,” said Rodriguez Sr., who is 73 years old. “I expected them to cut my chest open and they found a new procedure.”
The multidisciplinary team of cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery doctors and nurses are excited more Veterans like Rodriguez S. will benefit.
“Our goal is to offer this procedure to even more patients that may not have been eligible in the past because of their comorbidities,” said Dr. Alexander Schutz, a VA surgeon. “This new therapy has been demonstrated to be the lowest risk of stroke when placing the valve.”
Before the procedure, Rodriguez, Sr. said he got tired very easily and has already noticed having more energy.
“I’m so grateful to the doctors and nurses and everyone who made this surgery possible,” he said. “After I came home, I started thinking “golly, I have this device that saved my life.’ I don’t know what I would do without the VA.”